Resolution Kisii RFC are making a debut in the 15s season against top guns when they tackle experienced side Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) in the Impala Floodlights quarterfinal tie at Impala Grounds from 3pm Saturday.

The Kisii-based side have little experience in this level, having just earned promotion to the top tier rugby league, Kenya Cup as they face a mammoth task against Kenya Cup champions KCB, the team is taking the tournament as a to gauge for their readiness for upcoming 15s season. “We decided to honour the Floodies because we don’t have another opportunity to play before we kick off Kenya Cup.

It’s a grand opportunity to at least know what it feels to play a top tier team,” Resolution Kisii chairman Walter Orangi told PD Wikendi. He added, “It is extremely important to take this encounter and the tournament seriously because it’s through such high profile matches that we will be able to see what we are, where we are, and how best to grow on the achievements within our ranks,” he said.

As Kisii seeks to cause upsets, their opponents are in no mood for slip ups and have vowed to reclaim the Floodies title. KCB, the tournament’s multiple champions, won the tournament last in 2015 but bitterly lost to hosts Impala Saracens 33-32 in last year’s final and the team manager Ronney Kangeta told PD Wikendi their sole aim this year is to reclaim the title.

“We still have the pain from losing last year’s final to Impala with a very small margin, anyway we overcame that and moved on and that behind us, this year, our target will be to win back the Impala floodlight trophy, after missing out on the KRU 7s target, and also to give our 15s players a run out after being in the cold for a while,” team manager Ronney Kangeta said.

Seven fixtures are on the menu in both club competition and university category and with Kenya Cup champions KCB kicking off this year’s Impala Floodlit tournament against Resolution Kisii RFC at 3pm,this tie will thus pave way for another scintillating tie pitting Strathmore Leos and Mean Machine at 5pm before a last clash of day brings together heavyweights Kenya Harlequins and Menengai Creame Homeboyz in a mouthwatering encounter from 7pm.

Hosts Impala Saracens have received a bye and will face the winner of Strathmore/Machine tie in the semis as KCB/Kisii winner awaits Quins/Homeboyz winner for the other semis to be played on Saturday November 11, 2017.

In the university category, former champions Kenyatta University Blakblad face Mt. Kenya University in the 11am early kickoff before holders Menengai Oilers start their title defense against Mean Machine II from 1pm.